THE RANT THREAD!

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Happens to me all the time,I'm too improper and too informal with my english.....

[Jembru]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Actually, when I've re-read her reply, she was kinda saying I DON'T sound too polite, just kinda textbookish. I've only just started writing in Japanese. I have two Japanese friends living locally that I can speak with, so I thought I should probably start writing in Japanese to my friends in Japan. You know, get the most out of them ^^ They're loving it of course, but I misread quite a lot and refuse to use online translators (tried it once.. it translated 'you can write in Japanese?' as 'Japanese is calling'. LOL).

日本語大丈夫だよ！！しかも教科書みたいな敬語じゃなくて、もうタメ語も上手～頑張ってるんだ ね

---------- Post added at 11:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:32 PM ----------

For what it's worth I've told I'm too improper and too informal with my Japanese, Jembru.

Did you by any chance pick up a lot from anime? JP learnt entirely from anime and although he speaks well, he doesn't fully grasp the difference between casual and rude. Sometimes he speaks to me like I'm a dog or something ^^ I know he doesn't mean it though.

[Caelia]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Did you by any chance pick up a lot from anime? JP learnt entirely from anime and although he speaks well, he doesn't fully grasp the difference between casual and rude. Sometimes he speaks to me like I'm a dog or something ^^ I know he doesn't mean it though.

A little bit. I've picked up from books and music too, so maybe that's why I haven't been called rude yet. Either that or my friends are just too nice to say anything.

[Jembru]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Possibly, but I think between friends, being polite is less important anyway so it's less likely that you'll cause offense. There is of course the problem that no matter how good or bad one might be, Japanese friends tend to over compliment. My Japanese has been 'sugoi' since my earliest days when I could only utter a few basic sentences! Bless the Japanese!! You could probably teach me a few things actually. Not that I'm requesting that! I'm Just really keen to master casual Japanese and get away from the textbooks.

Which brings me nicely to my next rant. I am actually against the way most textbooks stick to 'proper' Japanese. What is the point in learning 'anata wa onaka ga suite imasu ka?' when what you're far more likely to hear is 'hara hetta?' Why not just teach us what we actually need to be able to communicate first, and include more 'proper' form later. Or, teach us both side by side? I mean, I'd rather take twice as long to reach intermediate level but be able to speak, than have to reach advanced level before I can have a basic chat with my friends.

[Ophidia]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Which brings me nicely to my next rant. I am actually against the way most textbooks stick to 'proper' Japanese. What is the point in learning 'anata wa onaka ga suite imasu ka?' when what you're far more likely to hear is 'hara hetta?' Why not just teach us what we actually need to be able to communicate first, and include more 'proper' form later. Or, teach us both side by side? I mean, I'd rather take twice as long to reach intermediate level but be able to speak, than have to reach advanced level before I can have a basic chat with my friends.

Are there classes that separate it into uber-proper 'Japanese 101' and 'Conversational Japanese'? Like they do w/Spanish, French, etc.?

[Jembru]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Are there classes that separate it into uber-proper 'Japanese 101' and 'Conversational Japanese'? Like they do w/Spanish, French, etc.?

Unfortunately not. This is why I had to go down the private lessons route. I was very lucky to find a teacher who charged only 20 pounds an hour, but that is still a lot of money to someone in my situation. Most language companies in my area, want 40 an hour for 1 to 1 lessons but state that all lessons are two hours long.

The only evening class around here is a GCSE and I spoke to a former student about it. He had passed with an A grade and yet couldn't speak to me in Japanese. I asked him if they did much speaking practise in the lesson and his answer was 'we could chat a bit outside while we waited for the teacher to arrive'. The poor guy only studied Japanese so he could understand anime. Unless anime characters start talking like, 'watashi wa pokemon maasutaa desu. Kore wa watashi no pikachu desu', then he has no chance (for those who don't understand Japanese, that was over the top 'gaijin' (foreigner) Japanese. Japanese people don't speak like that, but that's how the language is presented in beginners courses).

Even the Uni course doesn't appear to be much better in regards to letting the students practise spoken Japanese, and the JLPT (international proficiency test) only tests reading and listening and is multi-choice!!

The argument for keeping textbooks polite is that it IS very easy to cause offence if you use the wrong level of speech to the wrong person (generally speaking, Japanese has no swear words, it is the appropriateness of language that makes it offencive or honorific), so courses stick to the plain polite form that would be appropriate in most interactions. It assumes that if you need Japanese for any reason other than checking in and out of a hotel, then you're probably going to Japan to work. It takes no consideration of the fact that these days, when we're all so much more connected, that many of us need Japanese mainly for socialising. It doesn't just sound odd to speak politely in casual interactions, it can actually make others feel awkward. Polite language can also be used ironically to be 'snobbish' and thus, offensively. Of course, most of my friends know I am only learning, but it doesn't stop them giggling when I say something that sounds completely out of place!

I've been studying for so, so long now and I just feel as though I am no further along than I was 12 years ago. In fact, I kinda know I'm not.

[Trinity]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

This isn't so much a rant, as a head-slap.

This article is about a bill that would make counseling a requirement for people wanting to get married or divorced:

http://www.waff.com/story/17214565/new-bill-calls-for-mandatory-counseling-before-divorce?hpt=us_bn5

What chaffs me a little is this quote: "Critics of the bill say this is a government intrusion into marriage."

I don't think I've ever mentioned it, but I'm bisexual. So I have something of a personal stake in the whole gay marriage issue. These critics of this "covenant marriage" bill feel it would intrude into their marriage rights. What about the fact that many people (probably many of these very critics) feel that they have the right to intrude into the rights of gay couples being able to marry? "Hey government, don't intrude into my marriage rights! Oh, gay couples want to get married? Intrude on their rights to do so!"

Sorry, but this issue really peeves me off. Now, at the same time, I don't like the idea of this "covenant marriage" bill. Biggest issue about it, who is going to pay for this "counseling?" I'm sure it won't be the government. In my opinion, the government is intruding in marriage with this bill, just as they are intruding in gay couples' right to get married.

[Dumuzi]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Internet keeps going away.

[FantasyWitch]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

So I have an ear infection, a sore ankle and I've taken the skin off the side of the inde finger on my right hand. This has just been a weekend of me hurting myself! Ahh! x

[Sean R. R.]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Bitching: Only one person replied to my introduction thread

[Dumuzi]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Bitching: Only one person replied to my introduction thread

Check again!

[Medusa]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Yeah Dumuzi has a thing for Satanists.

[anunitu]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Ok,rant Freaking weather here in NJ,tonight it is supposed to get down to 20 degrees. Its Spring its supposed to be warming up.

[Sean R. R.]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Yeah Dumuzi has a thing for Satanists.

Lolwut.

/10char

[Medusa]

Re: THE RANT THREAD!

Lolwut.

/10char

It's an inside joke. Dumuzi is my friend. And I'm a Satanist.